Samsung Forum 2018: What’s been announced

“At Samsung, we believe IoT should be as easy as flipping a switch,” says Samsung Electronics CEO Sangchul Lee.

The brand moves closer to that dream of connected living with their most recent releases at the 2018 Samsung Forum in Rome.

Here’s what they announced today:

The SmartThings app

Now you can use your TV as a dashboard for all your other smart appliances! Manage and control your IoT (Internet of Things) ecosystem with the biggest screen in your house. The app is available on all of Samsung’s 2018 Smart TVs.

Next-generation Family Hub refrigerator

Remember last year’s Family Hub? Now it’s even better!

This year, Samsung adds Bixby and SmartThings IoT ecosystem integration to the mix. What a smart fridge!

New washing machine technology

The new QuickDrive washing machine technology cuts washing time in half!

And if that doesn’t wow you enough, Samsung’s new AI-powered laundry assistant, aptly called Q-rator, allows you to plan laundry. It even suggests laundry recipes depending on information it’s gathered!

The POWERstick PRO

Samsung’s newest cordless vacuum cleaner is both powerful and versatile. This ergonomically designed device is built for high-performance. The better to clean your smart home with!

A new soundbar line

The new premium lifestyle soundbars enhance viewing experience on your home theater and provide an optimum listening experience.

The NW700 Sound+ improves on its predecessor. This sleek bar, designed to be wall-mounted, enhances sound and is a perfect partner to your Samsung TV.

Equipped with Samsung’s patented “Samsung Acoustic Beam” technology, the Soundbar N650 promises to deliver a “panoramic sound experience.” It even has a “Game Mode” for all of you gamers out there.

This is just a quick recap of what has been announced today, tune it to GadgetMatch for more detailed features of these products. Here’s a quick walkthrough of the event:

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Looks like the future is looking bright… and pretty connected! Which Samsung device are you excited for?

Out of all the gadgets and gizmos showcased, one thing caught everyone’s eye. This is the special edition Predator Helios 300.

It comes in a stunning all-white aluminum chassis with gold details — something you don’t see a lot of with gaming laptops.

Of course, it’s not all looks. Specs have been updated, too. It’s powered by the latest Core i7 processor with up to 16GB of RAM (expandable to 32GB) and 512GB SSD storage.

This thing is also equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card and a 15.6-inch display with a refresh rate of 144Hz. Other than those changes, it’s still the same powerful machine released last year.

Regional pricing is yet to be announced for this bad baby. In the meantime, let’s just ogle at this beautiful, clean, and crisp-looking exterior.

As if it doesn’t get any better, Acer also unveiled matching white accessories.

A gaming mouse and headphones to match the whole mood.

Just look at that. I can’t stop staring, and I’m sure you feel the same way.

This is definitely this year’s best-looking gaming device so far. Take my money, Acer!

Vivo showcases new tech in FIFA World Cup TVC

Last year, Vivo announced that they are FIFA’s official smartphone sponsors under a six-year contract. Expect to see a lot of the brand, especially during the World Cup in 2018 and 2022.

A TVC highlighting the partnership just dropped and Vivo showcases their newest and greatest in smartphone tech. From bezel-less displays to in-display fingerprint sensors, the video shows it all.

At first, because of the in-display fingerprint sensor, the video seems to feature the Vivo X21 which launched in Singapore early this month, and is set to release in other Asian countries in June. But, what’s really curious is that it eventually shows a bezel-less smartphone with a retractable selfie camera. The only other time we saw that type of camera from Vivo was at this year’s MWC when they unveiled the Vivo APEX concept phone which they stressed was just a prototype.

Twitter introduces Twemoji for Android

Android users, rejoice! You’ll never have to see those emoji error boxes on Twitter again.

Remember not being able to read and appreciate tweets fully because some emoji don’t show? This error happens because of incompatibility and fragmentation. Twitter wants to solve this problem.

The company just rolled out Twemoji for Android 7.0 and below which aims to allow everyone to see all emoji, regardless of what (older) phone they’re on. Emoji from Google or Samsung can now be replaced; you can toggle this setting on the Twitter menu and turn on Twemoji.

The new Twemoji, which is actually done through Google’s EmojiCompat library, is a welcome update. At least one third of Android users are still on versions from 2014 or earlier.